Birdsong

[Tigon Man]

The Beeb's adaptation of Sebastian Faulks 1993 novel begins this Sunday, Eddie Redmayne in the lead role of Stephen Wraysford.

I love Birdsong and having read it four times, know it pretty well, so I was apprehensive about how they would approach it. My apprehension then turned to dismay when I saw the screenplay was by Abi Morgan, recently responsible for the dire Iron Lady and and the patchy (at best) the Hour.
Checking Imdb I don't see anyone cast either as Stephen's granddaughter who takes over the last quarter of the story, so the signs ain't looking good..

[DB7]

Was originally going to be a feature film but Working Title seem to have spent years juggling the project, as it's tv I guess they lost their nerve.

Birdsong: An epic in the making - Features - Films - The Independent

[Tigon Man]

There's a respectful article in yesterdays Weekend Mail magazine where Eddie Redmayne talks about the series (Filmed in Hungary).

Redmayne and co star Joseph Mawle visited some of the preserved tunnels of the great war in France and Redmayne noted down a poem written on one of the walls.

'If in this place you are detained
Don't look around you all in vain
but cast your net and you shall find
that every cloud is silver lined..still'

Humbling stuff, will be interested to see how Birdsong fares on the screen.

[Tigon Man]

A decent if not outstanding first half of Sebastian Faulks complex novel. The trench and tunnel scenes were well created and Joseph Mawle in particular as the chief tunneller Firebrace was outstanding.
The main weakness was Clemence Poesy as Isabelle. Although her acting was fine, she was simply to young for the part. Isabelle is aged around 40 whilst Clemence is 29 and looks even younger.
Did we really need quite as many shots of Poesy and Eddie Redmayne as Wraysford, staring off into the middle distance, accompanied by tinkly piano music..? For an Abi Morgan piece though Birdsong was pretty good.

[jaycad]

I haven't read the novel but thought part one was good as was Eddie Redmaynes performance.

[Freddy]

.....
Did we really need quite as many shots of Poesy and Eddie Redmayne as Wraysford, staring off into the middle distance, accompanied by tinkly piano music..? For an Abi Morgan piece though Birdsong was pretty good.

I enjoyed it but as you say the music could be an interference, what added to it was it was similar to some other drama piano music but can't place it just yet.

[DB7]

Did we really need quite as many shots of Poesy and Eddie Redmayne as Wraysford, staring off into the middle distance

There was an excess of that and greater dialogue may have stopped the drama looking a bit pretentious. Redmayne is also a fairly expressionless actor and doesn't inject much emotion into his character.

[Hugo]

I watched it with the subtitles on and at one point when Redmayne was in his bunker and there was music in the background the subtitle read FRENCH MUSIC ON THE RADIO. Radio in 1916 ??????

[cully]

The French leading lady spoke virtually perfect English. The only slip up I noticed was her saying "abrowd" when saying the word abroad.

Also, nobody saluted in the trenches. Is that historically correct??

[Captain Oates]

The French leading lady spoke virtually perfect English. The only slip up I noticed was her saying "abrowd" when saying the word abroad.

Also, nobody saluted in the trenches. Is that historically correct??

The pre-production publicity has made a lot of Birdsong's historical accuracy, specifically the military stuff. Unfortunately saying this kind if thing just brings out the pedantic nature in some viewers. I'm one of those people who tends to observe inaccuracies but it doesn't usually spoil the viewing experience for me, and I did enjoy this.

Regarding saluting, the main protocol in the British army was that you only saluted a senior officer if you had a cap or helmet on, never bareheaded.

On the only glimpse we had of the Germans breaking into the tunnel, they were wearing Pickelhaube helmets (with the spike). Most of these had been phased out by 1916 (when the wartime scenes of Birdsong were set), and those that remained were worn without the spike.

I also find it hard to believe that the Royal Engineers did not know how to load and fire a Lee-Enfield rifle - they would all surely have undergone infantry training.

Whilst I didn't hear any Royal Engineer referred to as "Private", I didn't hear the correct "Sapper" rank either. The end credits are sometimes a giveaway.

The other thing that was plain nonsense were the men crawling through the tunnel passages with side packs on!

[716Jones]

Regarding Royal Engineers not being able to load and fire a rifle, I don't know if it was true in 1916, but by 1917 there were members of this corps who were in this position. In Lyn Macdonald's book on Passchendaele, there were accounts from former Sappers that they were inducted into the army to serve in tunnelling units and sent to France without undergoing basic training, although they were issued with rifles.

[Steve Crook]

Regarding saluting, the main protocol in the British army was that you only saluted a senior officer if you had a cap or helmet on, never bareheaded.

So which film (or possibly a TV show) is it where the officer's batman is told that when he salutes he is respecting the uniform, and the rank, not the man. The sergeant drums into him "Salute the uniform, not the man". So when he takes his officer his early morning cup of tea the batman puts it down, turns to go and see the uniform hanging up. So he stands to attention and salutes the uniform

Steve

[716Jones]

So which film (or possibly a TV show) is it where the officer's batman is told that when he salutes he is respecting the uniform, and the rank, not the man. The sergeant drums into him "Salute the uniform, not the man". So when he takes his officer his early morning cup of tea the batman puts it down, turns to go and see the uniform hanging up. So he stands to attention and salutes the uniform

Steve

It may have been 'Adolf Hitler, My Part In His Downfall'. I remember when I read Spike Milligan's book he mentions one of his comrades, who was an officer's batman, doing just that. Haven't seen the film myself, though, so I can't be sure.

[Steve Crook]

It may have been 'Adolf Hitler, My Part In His Downfall'. I remember when I read Spike Milligan's book he mentions one of his comrades, who was an officer's batman, doing just that. Haven't seen the film myself, though, so I can't be sure.

It could well have been. With Jim Dale playing the young Spike and Spike playing his own father

Thanks

Steve

[Tigon Man]

An impressive second installment of Birdsong, concentrating more on the fighting itself. Joseph Mawle was superb as the 'sewer rat' Jack Firebrace.
The final scenes are harrowing and extremely moving, you would have to be pretty hard hearted not feel a tear welling up..

[dremble wedge]

I thought it was okay and nothing more. It never really grabbed me, far too languorous and Eddie Redmayne never really convinced me he was feeling anything at all. Although Joseph Mawle was excellent and it was nice to see Anthony Andrews pop up.

[Captain Oates]

Regarding Royal Engineers not being able to load and fire a rifle, I don't know if it was true in 1916, but by 1917 there were members of this corps who were in this position. In Lyn Macdonald's book on Passchendaele, there were accounts from former Sappers that they were inducted into the army to serve in tunnelling units and sent to France without undergoing basic training, although they were issued with rifles.

I must therefore retract that particular comment - I didn't know that had happened.

[David Challinor]

I was disappointed by the second part. The flash-forward/flash-back structured screenplay meant any dramatic tension was lost, and the attempted emotional final meeting between the lovers - ten minutes after a 'flash-back' had the woman leaving him - was build on sand. Imagine Lean's Dr Zhivago
overusing this?
I did think the final 20 minutes conjured up some of the lyricism which it pandered to, but as a credible dramatisation of a much loved book,
I think time will show this wasn't the treatment or screenplay it deserved.

[ricasso]

Regarding Royal Engineers not being able to load and fire a rifle, I don't know if it was true in 1916, but by 1917 there were members of this corps who were in this position. In Lyn Macdonald's book on Passchendaele, there were accounts from former Sappers that they were inducted into the army to serve in tunnelling units and sent to France without undergoing basic training, although they were issued with rifles.

For what its worth my Grandfather served with the Royal Engineers in one of the many Railway Company's building the railways that ran to the trenches, He was at Salonika and also served on the western front, he was also the holder of the Marksman award....

[Freddy]

Part two was good, The war scenes in particular, especially the flashbacks of the soldiers writing to their sweethearts, and at the end of battle the roll call of names. What was a disappointment were the domestic scenes of the two lovers, the sets seemed to be straight out of an advert for the White Company catalogue, Isabelle seemed to whisper every word and at times Eddie Redmayne was difficult to understand. Firebrace was a wonderful character, plaudits to Joseph Mawle and also the other sappers who gave the drama more layers than the actual love story.

Surname Database: Firebrace Last Name Origin

So where does it originate? Our opinon is that it is a development of the more popular surname 'Firebrace, Fairbrass and Farbrace'. This is probably proved by the first known recording of those names when John Fierebrache of Oxford, appears in the Pipe Rolls for that city in the year 1190. The name means 'Iron arm', no doubt a reference to a soldier or a pretty tough customer.